Hush Little Baby
by tlcroft
Summary: St. John finds out that String is pregnant by Archangel.


Hush Little Baby

by tlcroft

Summary: AU When finds out that his baby brother is Archangel's lover all hell breaks loose. Protective , Protective Archangel, Fragile Stringfellow Mpreg.

# # # # # # #

"Damn it, you can't trust anyone from the Firm," Hawke burst out, glaring at his younger brother.

Unintimidated by the stockier man's anger, Stringfellow Hawke glared right back. "And I don't trust anyone from the Company. After all,they wouldn't admit that you even worked for them, let alone tell me where you were."

"That's not the point, String! The Firm screws people over bigtime."

"They never have me."

"Tell that one to the Marines. And that's not the point—just how long has Archangel been screwing you?"

"That is none of your damn business!" String shot back, his arms folded protectively over his stomach. "Michael loves me and our baby. He would never betray us."

"You're pregnant?! That's just great; how long will it be before Archangel takes this one away from you?"

String turned away from his brother, tears filling his blue eyes and cursed himself. He had never meant to hurt his brother by reminding him of the rape and the baby California Children's Services had taken away from him. String had been just sixteen when his child was born and California law at the time denied underage male carriers custody of their baby even though teenage mothers were allowed to keep their child. String didn 't even know if his child was a boy or girl.

Laughter from outside accompanied by LeVan's still soprano babble heralded the arrival of 's son and the Firm's senior Deputy Director, making tense up as he recognized Archangel's voice. Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III was still laughing at LeVan's outrageous story of what had happened in the school chemistry lab yesterday as he opened the door, sobering immediately at the tense atmosphere between the brothers. "LeVan, go play with Tet for a while."

The teenager looked between his father and his uncle, then soberly went back outside, his uncle's bluetick hound beside him.

Michael leaned on his cane, assessing the tension between the brothers."Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Overwhelmed by his emotions, String shook his head mutely as the tears began to fall and Michael gathered him close, gently stroking his thick honey colored hair. Slowly, patiently, Michael coaxed his lover upstairs to the bed they had shared for over five years. Finally String cried himself to sleep and Michael went back downstairs, pulling on the persona of Archangel as he did.

"Now, just what the hell happened between you and String?" he demanded of the pacing .

"Is String alright?"

"He will be; now what happened?"

"I was an idiot," confessed, throwing himself down on one of the couches. "I said something I shouldn't have and String took it hard." He sighed. "I was just so mad when I found out String was pregnant that I didn't watch my mouth."

"Then I would agree that you were an idiot, especially given how fragile String's emotional state is." He stared down at the cold fireplace, tapping his cane against the tip of his shoe. "I'm sure that since you came home that someone has mentioned to you the term 'chronic sorrow'."

frowned. "I don't see what that has to do with-"

"It has everything to do with String's state of mind," Michael interrupted. "We mourn the dead and move on but the missing...the missing are always with us, the not knowing exacting a terrible price that I would not wish on my worst enemy. String has lived with that not knowing for fifteen years with every moment of joy, every laugh feeling like a betrayal of you. And I know you know full well what your brother thinks of traitors!"

stared at him for a long minute then burst out: "I don't trust you."

Michael looked up at him, his lone eye bleak and cold. "I never asked you to."

# # # # # # # #

It was early afternoon when found his brother curled up in the big window seat that overlooked the porch and clearing in front of the cabin, a mug of fresh coffee in his hand. And that alone should have been a tipoff to his brother's condition. String drank coffee by the potful but lately he'd been limiting himself to one or two cups a day.

filled his own mug, then joined his brother on the window seaat,nting idily athat Michael and LeVan were still playing catch, the teenager being careful of his 'uncle's' bad knee. "Just how long have you known Archangel anyway?"

"Michael recruited me to the Firm," String confessed, watching his lover. It felt odd sometimes to see Michael in a plain cotton teeshirt and jeans he was so used to seeing him in white. "They needed pilots with combat experience for a top secret project-"

"Airwolf?" interrupted and String nodded.

"Michael knew my background, my time in Army Intel and he trusted me to keep an inside eye on the project, especially as he didn't trust Moffet. He really didn't have any reason to but his gut was telling him not to trust the guy. Well, things happened between Moffet and me and I had to leave the project. Michael helped me then, when Moffet went rogue, he asked me to recover Airwolf. We had been lovers for five years by then."

"And Marella helped the two of you keep things under cover."

"You really don't know Michael's second in command, let alone Michael," String snorted. "It wasn't official. At the time Michael wouldn't publicly admit to us being friends, let alone lovers. He even told Marella that we just use each other."

"But she didn't believe it."

"No," String smiled in remembrance. "Marella was there when I joined the Firm, when Moffet...hurt me, when Michael helped me put my life back together. She knew when we became lovers, kept our secret from everyone—even Dom. Though Dom was happy for us when he finally did find out."

swallowed hard at the implication that the psychotic areonautical engineer who designed Airwolf had raped his baby brother. God, why did he have to suffer so?

# # # # # # #

Late that night Michael stroked String's belly as the two held each other after gently making love. Michael swallowed hard, the unwanted memories coming to the forefront as they did only too often. Moffet had seduced the young pilot early in the Airwolf program, taking him to his bed then casting him aside when String refused to cater to his rough and exotic tastes. Though he hadn't actually been raped, String had been badly hurt by Moffet and the resulting pregnancy had ended in miscarriage, triggering frightening memories of his earlier rape. String had quit the Airwolf project, unable to function as a pilot or even be around people.

Coming back from the edge of that abyss had been a hard fought struggle but, though he still disliked being around people, String had healed, finally giving himself to the man he had come to love. Michael cherished String's love and trust, making sure that he never hurt the younger man even by accident. And now, the tangible proof of that trust and love grew in his young lover's belly, tying them together even more.

"You're thinking too much, Michael," String murmured, cuddling even closer.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Michael answered, stroking his thick silky hair. "It's just memories."

"I'll forgive you this time," String smiled, pillowing his head on Michael's shoulder. "Just...please don't stop loving me."

"Never," Michael vowed, holding him close.

# # # # # # # #

Four months later, Stringfellow Hawke gave birth to a daughter at the Firm's medical facilities at Knight's Bridge. Gabrielle Caitlin Marella Coldsmith-Briggs Hawke was instantly adored by both her fathers and the large circle of honorary aunts and uncles that surrounded them. It surprised no one that as soon as he could Michael took his lover home to the cabin on Spirit Lake where he lavished both String and their daughter with love and care, protecting them as much as he could from the brutal reality of his profession. It also surprised no one that Archangel never again called on Airwolf and her talented pilots, no matter what the situation.


End file.
